CHAPTER 9: FIRST COMBAT TRAINING CLASS

"GOOD MORNING CLASS! WHO'S READY TO START THE DAY WITH SOME ENGLISH ACTION, HUH?!" Present Mic, max volume as always, entered the room the next day.

I turned back to face Deku. "This is what he's going to sound like the whole year? I might go deaf before it ends."

The green-haired boy looked kind of sheepish as he scratched his head. "He is a bit noisy, but he's still a teacher, so try to be respectful. Besides, this is English, so you should be pretty good at this."

An English-speaker being reborn into a Japanese society wasn't exactly ideal to start, but it did give me the chance to become fluent in both languages. That meant whenever I wanted to go off on a tirade, I could usually switch to English and no one would be the wiser unless they too spoke English. The weird thing was, I understood Mom at the beginning just fine. Did my mind and infant Bakugo's merge? His language exposure plus my comprehension? It was possible.

So for the most part, I just sat with a semi-bored outward appearance as I began to think and plan.

Even our first basic training class would be slightly different. The outcome might end up being the same, but the events themselves would be way different. It's not exactly a consequential change, but what would happen when I got to the events of consequence?

So many variables and so little time. I've already got a plan in mind, but plans rarely survive first contact with the enemy. Or in this case, the Darth Vader lookalike and his handyman. I've done what I can to prepare, though I did create a happy little accident.

(FLASHBACK)

I threw a punch as my opponent twirled away. She was an agile one, but her pattern was different this time. Her movements, it was like she was trying to avoid something. I begin to recognize a pattern with people once I fight them a few times, but this was different. What was she-

*BAMF!* A cloud of dust went up in my face as I stepped on what I assumed to be a piece of trash, disorienting me. Instead, it was some sort of trigger. Moving swiftly, she grabbed my arm and pinned me against the wall. I maneuvered my other arm to blast her, but she firmly grasped and angled my hand away, letting the explosion sail harmlessly by.

"See? I got you! And you thought I wasn't listening when you told me about using my environment." Toga gloated a little as she released me and stepped back, a comparatively nice smile on her face.

"You set up a trap ahead of time and lured me into it. I noticed a shift in your fighting style, which in retrospect means you were trying not to set off your own trap. A first-time combatant would be unprepared for that..."

She smiled wider. "Imagine if I used something more lethal than plain old dust, like a bunch of jagged scrap metal. Then there would be plenty of blood I could use."

The yellow-eyed psychopath blushed, albeit not quite as red as before, at the thought. I involuntarily shuddered. Toga wasn't exactly polished, but she was swift and unpredictable in battle, which I suppose is a good thing. Her pattern was a lot harder to determine, so much so I deemed it a subconscious one. She's a wild card, I'll give her that.

"Perhaps, but try to control your urges and direct them at Villains or the corrupt. I fully realize that your urges for blood won't disappear, so we can at least direct them towards something good."

She slumped. "Yeah, but society's so stifling for people like me. I ran away so I could live however I want, but I won't deny that some guidelines could help keep me out of too much trouble with the police. Maybe Stain could use some too."

Stain. He's someone I might be able to meet and work with. Only thing was, it would be rough trying to convince him to change. People like him are stubborn. In the meantime…

"The thing about Stain is he has a very rigid set of guidelines, especially in his view of hero society. He kills those he deems fake heroes, letting the real heroes live. The ones who are selfless, like All Might."

Toga cocked her head at me, vaguely resembling a curious dog. "Wow… how do you know so much?"

I smiled back. "I do my research on interesting people. Only thing is, he hates Villains as much as he does fake heroes. If you and I did meet him one day, you would have to be careful."

The blood-thirsty knife wielder nodded after a moment of thought. "You're probably right. I just can't help myself when I see a really cute civilian. I'm working on it though."

I gave a look that said I didn't quite believe her. "Regardless, there's something I should tell you. I'm going to be starting UA tomorrow, so we aren't going to be hanging out as much."

Yellow eyes locked onto my red, hints of surprise and fear seeping through as she went rigid, keeping a light tone. "Seriously? Aw, but I want to keep hanging out with you."

I placed my hand on her shoulder, smiling all the while. "And we still will. We're friends, and we have each other's number. So relax, okay? We can still meet up from time to time."

Toga's pale hand rested on mine. "Okay. You'd better be telling the truth though… I'd hate to lose my only friend."

I nodded at my fellow blonde, flashing a grin. "I'll never forget about you, Toga. How could I forget my potential murderer?"

(FLASHBACK END)

She took exception to that of course, belting me upside the head in response. I gained a soft smile as Mic went on about grammar as I remembered the spar. Hopefully, there would be a lot more fun later today.

(SOME TIME LATER)

I stretched my arms as Deku and I sat in our desks talking about what the first Hero Basic Training class could be.

"They'll want a firm grasp of our Quirks' usefulness and what strategies we can come up with. So it only makes sense that a combat trial would be the first thing we do."

"I dunno Kacchan. Fighting Villains is important, but rescuing civilians would be the priority. So wouldn't it make more sense to hold a rescue exercise first? It would still test both Quirk use and strategic thinking."

"Maybe, but consider the following-"

"I AM… HERE! COMING THROUGH THE DOOR LIKE A HERO!"

We both jumped, not really paying attention, as was the habit when we were debating each other. I turned to see All Might in his Silver Age costume marching to the front of the room.

"Whoa, All Might's a teacher here?"

"This is going to be awesome!"

"Is that his Silver Age Costume?"

"I'm getting goosebumps."

"ALL RIGHT, WELCOME TO THE MOST IMPORTANT CLASS AT UA HIGH! THINK OF IT AS HEROING 101! THIS IS THE CLASS WHERE WE'LL BE TEACHING YOU THE BASICS OF BEING A PRO, AND WHAT IT MEANS TO FIGHT FOR GOOD!AND THE FIRST LESSON IS… COMBAT TRAINING!"

I pumped my arms, hyped for the first real battle I would have… well, okay, I guess it's not a real fight, but it's my first fight as a hero-in-training. Deku appeared slightly nervous, but I knew exactly how it went in canon. This is going to be very different.

All Might pressed a button on a remote, causing the briefcases with our Hero Costumes to emerge. "THESE WERE BASED ON YOUR QUIRKS AS WELL AS THE REQUESTS YOU SENT IN BEFORE SCHOOL STARTED. GET CHANGED AND MEET ME AT TRAINING GROUND GAMMA!"

My grin grew, and it was obvious I wasn't alone in that as excited voices sprung up from all over the classroom. It was time to kick some butts.

(A FEW MINUTES LATER…)

I clicked open the briefcase in the changeroom to reveal the suit. Since my initial design, I had made some modifications, and it looks exactly like the schematics. I glanced around the corner to see Deku pulling his Hero Costume out of the case, revealing it to be just like the first day in canon, with the addition of a holster belt, which contained twin axes. Some very familiar axes. I had those commissioned for him for his 14th birthday after saving up a bit of my own money. It probably took some paperwork to get them included, but it seems like the request came through

Anyway, I quickly changed and gave myself a quick once-over. A black sleeveless shirt with a blue and orange sword crossed in front of each other on the front, black cargo pants with a pouch at the back. My shoulders held dark grey armour that guarded my neck and vulnerable nerve clusters, light for ease of movement. My upper arms possessed dark green armour, and my forearms are mostly bare with the exception of black fingerless gloves and what appeared to be a pair broad and thick of dark green bracelets.

On my back were two swords. I unsheathed them and gave them a twirl, getting used to their weight. The one on the left was mostly black in colour, with a cyan edge and a slight curve resembling a kukri style blade. The black hilt was comfortable and long enough to be used two handed if need be. Sunlit Heart, based on Masa's Meta Runner Sword, The one on the right was straight, with a white blade and a golden medieval looking hilt, the crossguard looking like a circle with two guards coming out either side. Caliburn, based on Sonic's sword.

Resheathing them, I finally held up and placed my mask on my face. It resembled Kyle Rayner's Green Lantern Mask, with the explosive fins from canon on the back. I began walking to the door, when an idea struck. A rather funny idea, and one that was sure to at least familiar. To people who watched Hellsing Ultimate Abridged at least.

Deku POV

All right, I'm changed, now to get to-

A gloved hand blocked me right in front of the entrance. I looked over to see Kacchan, a grin plastered on his masked face. That didn't look good.

"Kacchan? What are you stopping me for? Everyone else is already out."

"I have an idea."

All Might POV

Okay, almost everyone's here. All we're missing is-

Hold on, someone is walking to the entrance… now the footsteps stopped?

"Are you sure about this?"

"I'm positive. Hit random. Just hit random."

"Um…"

"Here, take my phone and just hit random. This is going to work. It's going to be a cool entrance."

"If you say so."

Young Bakugo and Young Midoriya? What were they talking about? And why were they-

*BOOM!*

A small explosion went off in front of the door as a song began playing. Young Midoriya and Young Bakugo stepped out in full gear as the lyrics began.

"I'll be glad when you're dead, you rascal you / I'll be glad when you're dead you rascal you…"

Young Bakugo took back the phone and shut off the song. "It didn't work. It did not work."

Everyone collectively sweatdropped. For a moment, I wondered just what Young Bakugo hoped to accomplish with a musical entrance. Was that supposed to be cool?

And Midoriya's Hero Costume… the ears… and that mouthguard… could he be any more obvious? They are heroes in training, but they're still children.

Will they be strong enough to face what's to come? All For One is alive, so there is no doubt in my mind that he'll go after me and my students. They have to be prepared, and I will be among those that will help prepare them. I have to be a better teacher, for their sake and my own.

Ignoring that, on to what we came here for! "THEY SAY THAT CLOTHES MAKE THE PRO HEROES YOUNG LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, AND BEHOLD, YOU ARE THE PROOF. TAKE THIS TO HEART, FROM NOW ON, YOU ARE ALL HEROES IN TRAINING! THIS IS GETTING ME REVVED UP, YOU ALL LOOK SO COOL!"

"Weeeeellll…"

"Kacchan, be polite."

"Fiiine."

Are those two my students or members of the peanut gallery? "NOW, SHALL WE GET STARTED YOU BUNCHA NEWBIES?"

Deku POV

This is it. My hero costume! Honestly, it was amazing of my mom to make this for me ahead of time. She even included holsters for my axes.

"Gotta say, I'm impressed. Your mom is one heck of a seamstress." Kacchan was looking me up and down, examining my Hero Costume. He was glancing between me and All Might too, scratching his chin before shrugging. That usually meant whatever thought he had was unimportant. Was he comparing me to All Might?

"Ah! Hey Deku! Hey Bakugo! Love your costumes!"

"Uraraka- GUAH!" We turned to see Uraraka approaching us, wearing a skin-tight pink and black suit. I held my hands in front of my face, doing my best to avoid a minor freakout as Kacchan looked the suit up and down, an approving smile on his face. But I admit, the Mega Man boots struck me as a little odd. Perhaps they were for added stability?

"I should have been more specific about what I wanted. This bodysuit is skintight, no really my style."

"NOW THAT YOU ALL ARE READY, IT'S TIME FOR COMBAT TRAINING!"

The guy in the suit of armour raised his hand a spoke.

"Sir! This seems like the city where the entrance exam was held. Are we going to be conducting urban battles again?"

Oh, that's Iida under there? Interesting costume… but I could swear I've seen something like that before. Hmmm…

Before I could think on it any further, All Might answered the question. "NOT QUITE! I'M GOING TO MOVE YOU TWO STEPS AHEAD OF THAT! MOST VILLAIN FIGHTS YOU SEE ON THE NEWS HAPPEN OUTDOORS, BUT STATISTICALLY SPEAKING, MORE VILLAIN ATTACKS OCCUR INSIDE! THINK ABOUT IT; BACKROOM DEALS, SECRET UNDERGROUND LAIRS,HOME INVASIONS, AND MORE!"

He does have a point. There are a lot of villains who stay in the shadows, they wouldn't just walk around in broad daylight.

"TRULY INTELLIGENT CRIMINALS STAY IN THE SHADOWS! FOR THIS EXERCISE, YOU WILL ALL BE SPLIT INTO TEAMS OF HEROES AND VILLAINS FOR TWO ON TWO BATTLES!"

A girl with black hair raised her hand. "Sir, isn't this a little advanced?"

A booming laugh resounded from All Might's mouth. "THE BEST TRAINING IS WHAT YOU GET ON THE BATTLEFIELD! BUT REMEMBER, YOU CAN'T JUST HIT A ROBOT THIS TIME! YOU'RE DEALING WITH ACTUAL PEOPLE NOW!"

A flood of questions popped up as All Might finished that sentence. Kacchan sighed and held up his hands, releasing an explosion, causing everyone to look at him. Well, that's one way to get everyone to calm down.

"Everyone quiet down! Let him get a word in edgewise before rapid-firing questions at him."

The Symbol of Peace nodded at Kacchan as if to thank him silently before pulling out… a script?

"THANK YOU. NOW, THE SCENARIO IS AS VILLAINS HAVE HIDDEN A NUCLEAR WEAPON SOMEWHERE IN THEIR HIDEOUT. THE HEROES MUST FOIL THE VILLAINS. TO DO THAT, THE GOOD GUYS MUST EITHER CAPTURE THE VILLAINS OR CLAIM THE WEAPON! LIKEWISE, THE BAD GUYS SUCCEED IF THEY CAPTURE THE HEROES OR PROTECT THEIR PAYLOAD!

Sounds like a classic action movie setup. The matchups will probably determine how successful each team is due to the wide variety of Quirks.

"TIME'S LIMITED, AND WE'LL CHOOSE TEAMS BY DRAWING LOTS! IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, PROS OFTEN HAVE TO TEAM UP WITH HEROES FROM ANOTHER AGENCY, SO THEY'LL COME UP WITH TEAMS ON THE SPOT!" NOW… LET'S DRAW!"

The results are...

Izuku Midoriya & Ochaco Uraraka (Team A)

Shoto Todoroki & Mezo Shoji (Team B)

Tenya Iida & Minoru Mineta (Team C)

Katsuki Bakugo & Momo Yaoyorozu (Team D)

Yuga Aoyama & Mina Ashido (Team E)

Rikido Sato & Koji Koda (Team F)

Denki Kaminari & Kyoka Jiro (Team G)

Fumikage Tokoyami & Tsuyu Asui (Team H)

Mashirao Ojiro & Toru Hagakure (Team I)

Eijiro Kirishima & Hanta Sero (Team J)

Oh my gosh, I got Uraraka! I have to make a good impression on her. Sure, first impressions can be unreliable at times, but overall they're important.

All Might reached into two boxes, which I assumed contained the team matchups, and withdrew two balls, one with an A and the other with a D.. "I DECLARE THE FIRST TEAMS TO FIGHT WILL BE… THESE GUYS! TEAM A WILL BE THE HEROES, AND TEAM D WILL BE THE VILLAINS! THE TWO MENTIONED TEAMS WILL PROCEED TO THEIR STARTING POINTS! EVERYONE ELSE, TO THE OBSERVATION ROOM WITH ME!"

I'm going up against Kacchan? Oh dear...

My POV (Seconds earlier…)

"TEAM D! KATSUKI BAKUGOU!"

I smiled a little as my name was called. I was coming up with potential plans for Iida and I to win this.

"AND MOMO YAOYOROZU!"

...wait, what?

I know I remember this right, I should have been paired up with Iida…

The rest of the pairs were called out as in canon, except Iida had Mineta. Okay then, a bit of an odd butterfly effect.

"Hello Bakugo." I turned to see Yaoyorozu and nodded.

"Heya. You're Yaoyorozu then?"

The black haired girl nodded. "Yes, I remember you from the Quirk Assessment. You're very strong, it would seem."

I smiled. "You got that right."

We walked inside the building as Deku and Uraraka stayed outside. I flashed one last sinister grin at my best friend, intent on making him feel uneasy. Not waiting to see his reaction, I ducked in after Yaoyorozu, following her up three flights of stairs.

As we walked steadily upward, the black-haired beauty looked back at me. "So, what kind of prior training do you have? Surely you've done something to prepare yourself for UA ahead of time?"

I put a finger and thumb to my chin. "Well, let's see, I've sparred like crazy with Deku, I've fought against another student here several times, and she's pretty strong. What about you?"

She nodded at my statements before answering. "My parents gave me some of the finest instructors and academic tutors money could buy. Sometimes I feel like I was raised to be a hero from day one. Your training, while unconventional, appears to have gotten you far if the fitness tests are anything to go by."

I rubbed the back of my head. "Well, I'm pretty strong, but as far as formal training is concerned, you've got me beat."

Now it was Yaoyorozu's turn to act embarrassed. "They mostly taught me a few martial arts moves, trained me in staff combat, memorization of materials, and how to make certain items. My Quirk was trained, but there was more emphasis on my intellectual ability compared to physical strength."

I nodded. It made sense. "What is your Quirk, by the way?"

I knew, but I didn't tell her that.

Her gaze hardened with focus as we reached the room. "Creation. I can create any inorganic object, as long as I know how it works and what it's made of."

I raised my hands. "Mine are Explosion and Sword Skill. Nitro sweat and energy generating, basically."

She nodded. "I see. I can create a barricade. If Midoriya is captured, Uraraka shouldn't be able to break through as her Quirk just appears to be gravity manipulation."

I nodded. "Right, and I know his moves, the way he fights and thinks. So, once it begins, if you barricade the door, I'll look around the building and capture him."

The maker gained a small smile. "I didn't take you for the intelligent type. That sounds like an ideal plan. Splitting them up would be the best course of action. If you can handle Midoriya, I can create a barricade to keep Uraraka out."

I smiled back, unsure whether that was a compliment or an insult. "Thanks, I think. Okay, as soon as the timer goes, I'm off. I'll update you as I go."

"Got it." Her midsection began glowing as a piece of metal spawned from the center of her suit.

Our earpieces crackled to life. "TEAM A AND TEAM D! GET MOVING! THE EXERCISE BEGINS… NOW!"

I smiled and turned to the door. "I'm heading out. Prepare for anything."

Yaoyorozu nodded. "Got it. And you should prepare for combat."

"Yes ma'am!" I threw a joking salute and began walking down the hall.

Deku POV (A few minutes prior…)

We had received the blueprints for the building, but at the same time, we had no idea where the bomb was… and we were going up against Kacchan. I know his moves, but he's still stronger than me. I'm fairly confident I can beat him because of my knowledge on his fighting style… or can I?

I heard Uraraka talking. "It's actually kinda cool that we're on the same team- Ah, you're sweating through your costume!"

Am I? Oh, I am. "Sorry. It's just, we're up against Kacchan. We've sparred for years together, and he's stronger than me. I might know his moves, but knowing doesn't mean I can reliably counter."

She looked confused at this. "You anticipated his punch pretty well before, was something different about that?"

I looked down at my hand. "Neither of us was taking that seriously. We are now though, so Kacchan probably won't hold back, On top of that I can't completely control my power, thoughthankstoKacchan'ssuggestionImanagedtocontrolitalittlebitandhisabilitytoanticipatemymovesmeansheprobablyhascountermeasuresinminddesignedspecificallyformyfightingstyle-"

"Try not to think about it too much, okay? We'll win this." I stopped at her words. There I go muttering again.

"Yeah, okay. We're going to be heroes, and heroes always win in the end." I clenched my fist, determined to win this.

"TEAM A AND TEAM D! GET MOVING! THE EXERCISE BEGINS… NOW!"

We exchanged a nod before looking around. After spotting a window, we climbed through and inside with no problem.

"And just like that, we're in."

"Careful, there's a lot of blind spots."

Proceeding in silence, our footsteps echoed slightly off of the barely lit hallways. We almost reached one of the stairs when we heard someone's voice from just above us. It sounded like a girl, but she was… singing?

"Why do you hide inside your walls…"

I leapt up the last two stairs, a hand falling to my axes when I saw a shadow disappear into a corner at the end of the hall. "Uraraka, we're not alone. Someone else is here."

My brunette partner followed soon after looking behind me as we surveyed the area. The voice came again, from a corner just ahead.

"...When there is music in my halls?"

Silently jerking my head, I signalled to Uraraka to start moving towards the next flight of stairs. They were in a different direction from the voice, around a corner that was back the other way, so hopefully we won't-

"All I see is an empty room..."

The voice came from the corridor just behind us. I kept a hand on my left axe, my nerves beginning to set in. Whoever it was, they were trying to unnerve us and keep us here on this floor. That must mean the bomb is higher up.

"...No more joy, an empty tomb."

Tomb?! The voice was closer now, and coming from the other direction again. The stairs were that way. They planned to keep us in this section? That made us sitting ducks. I looked at Uraraka and motioned for her to follow. We ran as quietly as possible around the far corner and into a hallway with open doors leading to multiple doorways and a hall or two.

"It's so fun to sing all day..."

Even closer, and it was echoing too… there must be an open room in that direction that would be perfect for a one on one fight. But if I charge in, I might end up in a trap. The safer option will be letting them come to me.

"To leap, to twirl, to fly away…"

There was a tension in the air as the voice sounded closer than it ever had. It sounded like it came from the doorway in front of me. I braced myself for combat, doing a mental rundown of what I knew about both opponents. These tactics… I recognized them… and they're totally working. This is creeping me out!

My POV

Thank goodness I decided to incorporate soft soles into my Hero Costume shoes. Perfect for running about stealthily. Couple that with those lines I 'borrowed' from Sister Location, and you have the prime unsettling atmosphere. I had them unsettled, now for the coup-de-gras.

I leapt out from around the corner behind the two with a blast, causing Deku and Uraraka to jump a mile. Deku reacted quickly though, and had drawn his left axe to block it, keeping me from damaging his suit too much. This time, the 'ears' were slightly singed.

Pressing the advantage, I threw a big right hook, which Deku caught and used as leverage to-

GAH!... throw me to the floor.

*Ksht* "Bakugo! Come in, what's happening down there?"

I slowly got up and tapped the earpiece. "I encountered the heroes. Engaging."

"Copy that. Make sure to restrain Midoriya. Uraraka can't do anything to my barricade without him."

I smiled. "Copy that."

I unsheathed Sunlit Heart and Caliburn as Deku drew his axes. "Uraraka! Get out of here! Find the weapon, I can take him!"

The pink-clad girl nodded as she took off down the hall. I grit my teeth in a grin. "I know all your tricks."

He gave a smaller smile back. "And I know yours."

Kirishima POV

I furrowed my brow at the sight of their lips moving but not hearing any sound. "What are they saying? Can we get some sound with this video?"

All Might looked at me. "I'M AFRAID THAT WOULDN'T WORK TOO WELL. THESE CAMERAS DON'T HAVE MICROPHONES!"

Bakugo and Midoriya rocketed towards each other at the same time, almost like there was some kind of signal the rest of us couldn't see and locked their weapons. They then started to swing at each other rapidly with a lot of different angles and stuff.

"Their skill with their respective blades is impressive." Oddly enough, it was Tokoyami who spoke up as Bakugo switched the sword in his right hand to reverse grip and his fighting style changed.

I thought for a sec. "With Bakugo it makes sense to use weapons when he can coat them in his energy, but why would Midoriya use axes?"

Asui spoke up. "It would be useful for a foe you can't touch or has to touch you to activate their Quirk, and Midoriya can't rely on his power if it breaks his bones."

I nodded before I looked back at the fight. "Makes sense."

My POV

I leapt back after the clash before getting an idea.

"You're strong. Tell me, how well can you hold back with your power?"

Deku stopped. His brow furrowed in thought. Perfect. His mind was a-going.

I rushed at him with all the raw force of a truck and used Sword Skill, slicing off his "ears". "Look alive, Deku!"

He flinched from the attack before regaining himself and whacking me in the stomach with the flats of his blades.

I staggered back a bit, winded, before Deku kicked me in the side of the head, putting me flat on my back.

The green haired boy stared down at me, pointing one of his axes at my face. "Don't try anything. I've won, villain."

"Oh, I don't think so." His brow morphed into a concerned look before I used a big blast from my spot on the floor aimed right at his face, sending him flying back a few feet, his cowl destroyed and his mouthguard hanging from his neck by a thread.

I stood and rushed him again, using Sword Skill to coat the blades. I now had a pair of cyan darksabers as I charged. Deku ducked out of the way, holstering his axes as he did so. Smart move.

I kept up the barrage, chasing him until he rounded a corner and disappeared.

...oh, crap. He's headed for the stairs.

I dashed after him, holstering my blades, but taking a different route to the stairs as I heard his footsteps stop.

Deku POV

I have to be as stealthy as possible. Kacchan can't target something if he doesn't know where it is. I can hear him if I listen closely. If I time it right, I can-

"Deku? Come in, something's wrong." A voice sounded in my ear. I reached up and activated my earpiece mic.

"I'm here. What's happening?"

"The door, I can't get in, it's been barricaded somehow. I think it's the room where the weapon is being kept." A barricade? Is it the result of Yaoyorozu's Quirk? It's some sort of creator type, I know that much.

"Copy that. Where on the floor are you?" I knew I had to get there fast, otherwise-

"Found you!" I jolted and turned towards the voice. Oh crap, it's Kacchan! Wait, I can't see him… it must be a fakeout. He does that sometimes during the games of hide and seek we do for stealth training.

I could still hear Uraraka. "I'm in the hall closest to the front window."

"Got it. Watch out, I might have a follower when I find you."

"Got it."

"Am I being ignored?" I jumped again when I saw Kacchan's masked eyes not two feet from mine. How did he do that?

He leapt back with a grin. "Being such a Quirk nerd, you probably know how my Explosion works. I produce nitroglycerin-like sweat and make that explode."

Raising his right arm, he clenched his fist twice, and the bracelet expanded, covering his arm with a dark green grenade-patterned gauntlet. "These are the Ember Vindicta. They're gauntlets that shoot capsules full of my compressed sweat, meaning they explode on impact."

...oh my gosh that's so cool!

My POV

I stood there and gawked as Deku's muttering reached a fever pitch, his eyes flicking between Ember Vindicta and me. I could barely decipher it, even with my experience. He said something about it being amazing with a generally close to mid range Quirk and no one seeing it coming. It also reminded him of a different Hero, but I couldn't make out the name.

I slowly raised my finger to the earpiece. "Yaoyorozu?"

A voice came through after a moment. "Bakugo? What's going on?"

I took a deep breath, pausing for a moment before speaking. "What do you do when your best friend weirds you out with a habit you thought you had grown used to?"

I could almost feel her confusion. "What does that have to do with anything?"

I scratched my head with my free hand. "Deku has a muttering habit and takes notes on the Quirks of everyone he meets. He already knows my Quirk, but I just revealed my blast gauntlets and he's nerding out harder than I've ever seen him."

The black-haired girl answered with a touch of irritation. "He's wide open, is he not?"

I paused. She had a point.

"Oh yeah. Thanks!" I released the earpiece and expanded the other gauntlet, before punching the air with each arm. That triggered the mechanism, causing the gauntlets to shoot two capsules, making them explode on impact with the floor. It wasn't near as big as canon Bakugo's gauntlet blasts, but big enough to decimate the floor under him and some of the wall, causing him to fall through.

Deku POV

WHOAH! Well, props to Kacchan, he's creative, but destroying his own stronghold can't be a good thing for the exercise. I aimed one of my axes, twisting so I would land on my back.

OOF! ...Okay, let's try this out. I did some tinkering with them after reading up on support items. It may be amateurish, but it works.

I pulled a trigger on my right axe, and the head shot upwards into the ceiling of the room I had just fallen from, embedding itself in the ceiling.

"What the heck? A grappling chain?"

I reeled in, shooting back up to Kacchan's floor, the chain rattling as it coiled again in the axe. I landed on the opposite side of the hole in the floor. It was smart of him to keep his gauntlets under wraps, but if I try to go for them, they might blow his arm off. Wait, why hasn't he taken another shot at me?

I saw that Kacchan was just gaping at me before he pulled out… a notepad?

"ThebladesareheavybutwithastrongenoughforcearelaunchedallowingforamobilityadvantageandpotentiallyashortrangedprojectileorsomekindofkusarigamatypeoffightingnotexactlysomethingIcanusewithmyswordsbutperhapsIcanworkagrapplinghookintomyHeroCostumeperhapsormaybeadaggeronachainthroughagaunletupgrade-"

Kacchan's like me with Quirks when it comes to weapons…is this really what it's like when I start muttering? ...wait, this gives me an opening!

I turned and ran back out the door, headed for the stairs. I heard Kacchan grow confused and realize what happened behind me. I charged towards the stairs without incident, the sound of a blazing bomber about 5 meters behind. I turned and weaved through the halls, hearing Kacchan slow down and stop. I couldn't go to the room, that would bring Kacchan and a four-way fight would ensue. I have to make a plan… wait, that's it!

Yaoyorozu POV

We can probably stall out the time limit, but that's assuming that Bakugo can hold back Midoriya or use the capture tape.

"Yaoyorozu, come in!"

I reached for my earpiece. "What's the situation, Bakugo?"

"Deku got past me, he might be on your floor! I'm in pursuit now!"

I furrowed my brow. This would be a problem unless Bakugo managed to capture him. Midoriya could only use his strength once in each body part before breaking, and I would be able to keep Uraraka on her toes with my staff techniques. I expanded on the moves I was taught, so that will hopefully be enough.

I could hear the zero-gravity user outside the door, attempting to fiddle with the door. It opens inwards, so she wouldn't be able to determine what precisely my barricade is. I trust Bakugo can handle the pair of them, because if he can't, I will. I must.

I heard speaking outside the door as I spawned a metal quarterstaff.

"Deku! Where are you?...okay, go ahead."

Silence. I assume he's detailing whatever plan he has.

"Okay. If that's your plan, I'll go for it."

I decided to play the part. I was a Villain in this exercise after all. "You're wasting your time, Hero. I know your Quirk won't allow you to break through my barricade!"

Wait… was she walking away? Going to find Midoriya.

"Bakugo! Uraraka is going to Midoriya. Follow her!"

My POV

Deku wouldn't lead me to Uraraka. That's why he kept me-

*KSHT* "Bakugo! Uraraka is going to Midoriya. Follow her!"

"I will! Once I find her, that is!" I charged off, running towards Deku's last known location. I rounded a corner to find the dual-axe wielder there, his weapons held in a defensive stance.

Charging at him, I realized a bit too late that I had no idea where Uraraka was. I thrust my palms forward, an explosion rocketing forth moments before I felt someone touch my back. It was only when I began to float that I realized what was going on.

"Clever, heroes. But this won't hold me for long!" I readied an explosion and fired a blast with both hands to fly at Deku.

Except I forgot one thing.

Zero gravity meant no drag force, which meant higher speed.

I blasted down the hall, crashing into the wall at the end of the corridor at full force. Flopping to the floor, I turned my head just in time to see Uraraka release her hold and Deku, his costume more damaged and sporting light burns on his chest and shoulders, raising his hand at the ceiling.

"DELAWARE SMASH!"

A burst of air shot forth, breaking apart a whole in the ceiling that allowed them to enter the bomb room. Using the updraft to her advantage, the zero gravity user activated her Quirk on Deku and threw him upwards at the hole in the floor, following the moment he made it through the hole.

Rolling over, I slowly got up. My limbs were all sore, as were my ribs, but I couldn't stop. I had to get to them before they overwhelmed Yaoyorozu-

OW! My ankle… darn it, I have to keep going!

Yaoyorozu POV

I was about to contact Bakugo again when the floor behind me erupted with a blast of air. Spinning my staff at the ready, I raised it just in time to intercept Midoriya, riding his air current through the floor with a yell. Steel met steel as his axes clashed with my staff. He appeared to have broken a finger on his left hand, which I can use to subdue him if need be.

"You're through, Villain!"

Uraraka, the source of the voice leapt up not seconds later and ran past me. I pushed my opponent away, hoping to get back and keep her from approaching the weapon, but Midoriya recovered quickly and began leapt, swinging his arms like a wheel of blades as our weapons locked again. His teeth were grit in pain, surely his injury had to be affecting him.

An explosion was heard as Bakugo came up through the hole in the floor, looking battered and tired as he flew towards Uraraka… wait a moment, the bracelets on his arms were collapsed gauntlets?

"YAAAAAAAAH!"

"Baku-oof!"

The pair collided and went sprawling on the floor, with my partner trying to hold Uraraka to the floor.

"Say uncle!"

"Not a chance!"

I suspected those gauntlets housed some kind of device, but this was unexpected. I didn't expect him to wear bracelets in the first place, but I suppose I can just chalk that up to-

*SHOVE* I was distracted by my thoughts, but that left enough of an opening for Midoriya to push me back, run to the weapon and touch it, capturing the weapon for the heroes.

"THE HERO TEAM… WIIIIIIIINS!" All Might's voice boomed in our earpieces. I dropped my staff in defeat. They won, but they didn't do it particularly well.

"You won. I can safely say however that the rest of you didn't respect the spirit of the exercise."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Ow, ow! Uncle! Will you get off! The exercise is over!"

I looked over to see that Bakugo had managed to somehow twist Uraraka's arm behind her in their struggle. Sighing as they got up, I continued.

"The use of your Quirk was incredibly dangerous. Had this been a real weapon, you shouldn't have relied on such an imprecise tactic. I'll grant that entering through the floor was clever, but using such a powerful Quirk without knowing where precisely to aim to avoid striking the weapon could be catastrophic. Furthermore, you willingly injured yourself with your power, which would handicap you in a real fight. You took advantage of the fact that it was training, and didn't take this seriously."

There was a few moments of silence before applause could be heard from Bakugo. He was smiling as he did. It wasn't a condescending smile or a fake one either. It was a genuine smile, something I didn't see a lot of.

"You hit just about every point I would have covered. I'm kinda guilty of not taking this seriously either though, since I kinda destroyed part of the floor during the initial fight we had."

I wheeled on him. Not even my own partner treated this like it was real? "Damaging your own stronghold is not a good defensive option, whether you're a Hero or a Villain. I doubt you would destroy an office building to help defeat a criminal."

He thought for a moment before shrugging. "Fair point, but since when do Villains typically care?"

I sighed again. He had a point. "Regardless of the result, the performance in this exercise was less than optimal. Let's head back to the viewing room and hear what All Might has to say about this."

Nodding in response, we all began the trip to the room. If this first class was any indicator, it was clear we had a lot more to learn.

Hooooo boy, that was a lot more work than I thought it would be. This chapter was over 7000 words, the longest I've ever written. I was almost constantly second-guessing myself as I wrote out the first hero class proper. Hopefully you guys liked it though. The next chapter will hopefully be less hard to write as I write my way up to the USJ arc, because that's where everything will be turned on its head… well, okay, not everything… where a few things are turned on their heads. On a different note, I dunno how well I wrote Yaoyorozu, but hopefully it was in character. That said, what do you guys think? PM or review, I always enjoy hearing from you. See you next chapter!